Every single issue Americans care about comes before our federal courts. Each day, federal judges make decisions about everything from the air we breathe and the water we drink, to our safety and wages at work, to our reproductive rights and who we can marry. And the federal courts are a vital part of our system of checks and balances, defending Americans’ rights from overzealous legislatures and executives.

The Coalition for Constitutional Values (CCV) is a coalition of organizations and advocates working together to ensure that our federal courts work to the benefit of all Americans in keeping with the core constitutional values of liberty, equality and justice for all. To achieve this goal, CCV supports an appointment and confirmation process that identifies and provides timely yes-or-no confirmation votes for well-qualified nominees for federal judgeships that are dedicated to fairness and impartiality.

Since 1992, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC has been working to increase the diversity of the federal bench. The federal judiciary must reflect the diversity of this country in order to provide the justice that the United States Constitution demands and that all American citizens deserve. If we have only a handful of Asian American judges in the entire judiciary, the courts are deprived of a critical set of experiences when deliberating on matters affecting our community. All Americans, not just Asian Americans, should care about diversity on the courts. When there is a diverse group of judges ruling on issues before the courts, we as citizens have greater confidence in the ability of the courts to understand how their decisions impact all members of society.

A guide for prospective judicial nominees about the intricacies of the nominations process, pitfalls to avoid, and suggestions for a successful candidacy issued by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) and its partner organizations.

Courts play a vitally important role in the lives of every American, especially those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. They interpret state and federal constitutions and continually refine and perfect what equality, liberty, and due process mean. This development of constitutional principles and values plays a critical role in our progress towards achieving full, equal rights under the law for all Americans.

A project of Defenders of Wildlife, Judging the Environment conducts research to advise the environmental community and to educate the public on the importance of lifetime federal judicial nominees and related issues. Senior Attorney Glenn Sugameli continues to head Judging the Environment, which he founded in 2001.

White-hot partisan bickering has surrounded too many federal court nominations. This partisanship not only stalls or subverts confirmation of top-notch judges, it also deters strong candidates from ever applying.

One proposal to identify highly qualified judges and promote principled confirmations comes from the American Bar Association. It urges senators to form bipartisan commissions in each state to review and suggest slates of the most professionally qualified candidates.

Tapping input from community and state leaders around the country, before the president makes nominations, can help bridge the partisan divide in Washington and keep courts fair, impartial and free from extreme partisan agendas.

Courts matter. Federal court decisions impact every aspect of our lives. And the composition of the federal courts defines how justice is delivered in our nation. NCJW believes that judges confirmed to lifetime seats on the bench must have a commitment to constitutional rights, including reproductive rights.

Through BenchMark: NCJW’s Judicial Nominations Campaign, we have been a leading voice in the progressive community’s fight to ensure a fair and independent judiciary that keeps faith with constitutional values. All year round, our powerful grassroots network works to educate their communities about the importance of the federal judiciary and mobilizes and advocates to ensure that court vacancies are filled in a timely manner by nominees who are committed to constitutional values.

At NCJW, we understand that federal court decisions impact every aspect of our lives:

The schools we can attend; our privacy; our ability to marry whom we choose and start a family when we choose; the safety of the products we buy; our religious freedom; and our voting rights.

The National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) is the largest professional membership organization in the country comprised of lawyers who represent workers in labor, employment and civil rights disputes. Founded in 1985, NELA advances employee rights and serves lawyers who advocate for equality and justice in the American workplace. NELA and its 68 circuit, state, and local Affiliates have a membership of over 3,000 attorneys who are committed to working on behalf of those who have been illegally treated in the workplace. NELA’s members litigate daily in every circuit, affording NELA a unique perspective on how the principles announced by the courts in employment cases actually play out on the ground.

NELA advocates for independent and fair-minded federal judges who are committed to equal justice under law for all Americans, and who do not place the interests of employers over the rights of employees. NELA takes an active role in assessing candidates nominated to federal judgeships as well as individuals interested in becoming candidates for such vacancies. NELA screens potential judicial nominees, ensuring they are faithful to the progress made on civil rights and individual liberties, and possess a demonstrated record of respect for justice and equality in the workplace. In support of this work, NELA released a special report in 2012 called “Judicial Hostility To Workers’ Rights: The Case For Professional Diversity On The Federal Bench,” which calls for the nomination of individuals with professionally diverse backgrounds.

The judges appointed to our federal courts will shape women’s legal rights for decades to come. We’re working to ensure that individuals who are nominated to lifetime positions on the federal bench support the rights and principles that are fundamental to women’s progress.

PFAW’s “Fair and Just Courts” site provides a variety of information about the federal court system in the United States and the current issues around vacancies on the courts and the political challenges facing nominees to the court